Furbearer Hunting Regulations and Falconry

Only general wildlife management area (WMA) are covered. For specific WMA regulations, obtain individual WMA brochures published annually for each area. WMA brochures are available at MyFWC.com/Hunting/WMA-Brochures , FWC regional offices and some county tax collectors’ offices.

Furbearer hunting regulations

Methods of taking: Furbearers may be taken with firearms, live traps or snares and recorded game calls.

Wildlife management areas: Furbearers may not be taken on WMAs unless specifically authorized by area regulations.

Closed season on fox: Trapping or shooting foxes is prohibited. Foxes may not be killed but may be chased with dogs year-round. Foxes or untanned fox pelts may not be possessed, except by permit from the FWC executive director. A permit is not required when getting a road-killed fox mounted by a taxidermist.

Prohibited: Minks, Everglades minks, weasels and roundtailed muskrats cannot be taken or possessed. Everglades minks reside in Miami-Dade, Monroe, Collier and Hendry counties.

Commercial furbearer requirements

One must possess a dealer’s license to engage in the buying and selling of meat from furbearing mammals for commercial purposes.

Bobcat and otter pelts taken for commercial purposes must be tagged with an FWC seal. To obtain furbearer tags, call the furbearer program coordinator at 850-488-5878. Licensed fur dealers and their agents must tag otter and bobcat pelts with official FWC tags immediately upon receipt. Tags are distributed to dealers upon request. Fur dealers are held accountable for disposition of tags and are required to return unused tags by April 15, 2012.

Falconry

Wildlife management area regulations can differ.

Season dates:

• Gray squirrels and quail may be taken statewide by permitted falconers Oct. 1, 2012 – March 31, 2013.
• Rabbits may be taken year-round.

Daily bag and possession limits:

Migratory game birds may be taken and possessed by falconers only during times and within bag limits determined annually by the FWC and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Migratory game bird seasons for 2012–2013 were not established at the time this booklet went to press. For season dates, contact the Division of Hunting and Game Management at 850-488-4676 or visit MyFWC.com/Hunting/Regulations. Detailed rules concerning falconry permits  are available from the Division of Law Enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 620 S. Meridian St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600 or call 850-488-6253.